Phantoms bowl with young fans

A GHOSTLY GATHERING.

The Bracebridge Phantoms shed their tough guy images and reached out to their young fans during a bowling event at the Riverside Inn on Thursday, Jan. 24. The event brought the Phantoms together with young bowlers from the Muskoka Youth Bowling Club. (Photo by Louis Tam)

Shedding their tough guy image, the Bracebridge Phantoms showed a softer side of themselves to their young fans at a local bowing alley last week.

Players from the team spent the evening of Thursday, Jan. 24 at the Riverside Inn bowling with young bowlers from the Muskoka Youth Bowling Club. Held as a fundraiser for the bowling club, the event paired Phantoms players with youngsters in six-person teams.

“They love having the kids come to their games,” said bowling club vice-president Kaitlin French. “They’re great one-on-one with them, and they’re really having a good time tonight.”

As part of the festivities, a Phantoms jersey and free tickets to Phantoms games were also raffled off to the standing-room-only crowd of attendees. Proceeds went towards the bowling club to support club fees and banquets.

While most of the fundraising and activities for the bowling club happen earlier on in the year, French said the event was a great way to keep the young bowlers active and engaged.

“What better way than to bring a whole hockey team in, because there’s lots of them,” she said.

French said the event also allows the Phantoms to build greater support and enthusiasm for minor hockey among young Muskokans.

“It gets the kids interested in their hockey league, so the kids might join jockey (or) come support their games,” she said.

Currently in their inaugural season, the Phantoms are no strangers to reaching out to their fans and to their community. Last October, they donned pink jerseys as part of a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness month.